1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to communication between computers over the internet and, in particular, to a method and apparatus creating and using dynamic universal resource locators (URLs).
2. Background Art
As access to the internet has increased dramatically in recent years, almost anyone with a computer can communicate with other computers to seek out various types of information, e-mail messages to other computer users, download files from remote computers and perform many other processes. In fact, it is the interconnection of these computers, via routers and other elements, using TCP/IP (transmission control protocol/internet protocol) that defines the internet. Once connected to the internet a user typically uses a software application program known as a "browser". To connect to the internet a typical end user utilizes the services of an Internet Service Provider (ISP) who maintains one or more computers which are connected directly to the Internet.
Internet protocol (IP) bundles the information being sent between two computers connected to the internet with the addresses for both the source and destination computers. These addresses are formed from four numbers, each less than 256, an example of which may appear as: 101.222.345.4. Transmission control protocol (TCP) governs the format in which the packets of data are transmitted. TCP breaks the information to be sent into manageable pieces for transmission, collects the pieces upon receipt, extracts the data, puts it in proper order, requests retransmission if any pieces are missing and verifies validity of the information using a checksum or other error-detection protocol.
Fortunately, most users do not have to concern themselves with the intricacies of TCP/IP because the TCP protocol is executed by the particular internet application software being used (such as a "browser"), generally without user intervention, and in view of the internet's use of domain names. Rather than force users to use actual numerical IP addresses, which are difficult for a user to remember or recognize, the internet provides for the use of domain names. For example, a computer maintained by the U.S. Internal Revenue Service may have the name "IRS.GOV" as its Domain Name, while one operated by the Acme Mouse Trap Company may have the name "MOUSETRAP.COM" as its domain name.
One very useful feature of the internet is the implementation of linking whereby the user when viewing a given page of text and graphics supplied by the computer to which the user has connected may be presented with highlighted text or graphics which comprise other "destinations" on the internet. Such highlighted portions of text, termed "hypertext" or graphics, signify links which may be selected by the user. For the user to connect to any of the listed destinations (as represented by the links) the user need only select the portion of highlighted text or graphics. In operation, when the user selects the hypertext link or graphics the user is in fact causing a domain name or IP address permanently associated with the hypertext or graphic to be used by the browser software as the next "destination." In practice, the specific domain name or IP address associated with the hypertext link or graphic is generated by the computer to which the user has connected.
Unfortunately, in view of the association of domain names with IP addresses a user if often presented with duplicate hypertext choices each of which accomplish the same task albeit from different computers. As an example, a computer may offer the user the ability to download specific files from any one of multiple computer sites. The user is typically presented with a hypertext listing for each site and must guess which site is most advantageous for his or her use, e.g. which is least busy and thus which might download the desired data quicker. Another example is found in a type of business having multiple internet hosts is a business at distributed locations. While each of these locations may have unique information and processes which can be provided via the internet, the business may want outside users who attempt to directly access any of the distributed sites to exprience some degree uniformity regardless of which site is accessed.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to present to the user a single hypertext link, customized for the particular user, based upon predefined criteria. It is an associated object to provide a method and apparatus for allowing a central internet host to intercept a request to connect to a particular site and service at least a portion of the communication with the end user through the central server.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art in light of the present specification, drawings and claims.